sponge use and UTI

Hi Jayvon.
When they say soak in Tea Tree Oil you must only use a few drops in the soaking water, you must not use it without diluting it.
Hope this helps.
Daphne.

UTIs are usually considered to be caused by a piece of faecal matter entering your urethra and causing a bacterial infection. So women are told to be scrupulous about hygiene down there. This advice of course is rather insulting and irritating for those women who frequently get UTIs. One, we all know that for the most part we are scrupulous with that hygiene and two we also know that occasional lapses (as you describe) don’t normally lead to UTIs. It is also said that if you do not make a habit of fully emptying your bladder each day that any stagnant urine can also lead to a UTI. I have no experience of this. However, it is wise to make sure that when you urinate that you fully empty at least once a day. I try to do it each time. Make sure you put your weight on your feet when urinating, and return to the bowl a few seconds later not to force anything but to gently see if there is more to come. Another way is get down on all fours in the shower or over a bowl.
I personally believe it is something we can catch but I have been corrected in this by reasonable authority that UTIs are primary infections and you don’t catch them. I know that D-Mannose is recommended by some people for UTIs, but you should realise that the evidence for its effectiveness is not in yet. Usually a doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. Those who suffer chronically are put on a long standing low dose antibiotic. I remember that Aussie Soul Sister recommended Ural to relieve the stinging and I agree with that too. But it won’t cure.

Jayvon, I don't think it would be correct to say Christine recommends sponge use. It's not really part of prolapse management, as anything that holds the vagina open is actually contributing to the problem. That being said, if relieving symptoms is the primary goal (versus posture work to restore lumbar curvature and train the organs to move forward on their own), then it does seem like the sponge would be more forgiving than a pessary. Not everyone can get them to work, though. - Surviving

PS, I just stumbled upon an older post where Christine described getting a sponge stuck once.

I do not understand how a sea sponge can make prolapse worse....it is like a tampon. So does that mean a tampon makes prolapse worse? If someone can explain WHY a pessary is bad for a rectocele it would be nice, from an anatomy point of view, not just because "it says so in the book". Also with the sponge/tampon, an explanation of WHY this could worsen things would be very helpful.
Any and all info is always helpful!

Sea turtle, we constantly refer to Christine's book on this forum because that is our basic "textbook" for natural prolapse management, and gives the best explanations for these anatomical concepts. If you don't have the book, there is definitely a gap in your program that you need to fill!

As to whether or not long-term tampon use contributes to prolapse, that is an interesting question. I can't recall if it has been discussed previously, but you can try the search box up above. I have literally never seen a sponge or any type of pessary in real life, but my impression would be that a tampon is small enough not to hold the vagina open when positioned for normal menstrual use. Whereas a sponge may be bigger to start with, and applies more outward pressure against the vaginal walls, creating that space where other organs can move into, even as one organ might be held in place.

I used tampons for 40 years and as I approached menopause, had trouble keeping them inside. That is what rectocele will do, which I only realized in retrospect. - Surviving

Yes, I have the book, have read it and refer to it often. I find the info provided in the book re: sponge, pessary, rectocele quite brief and was hoping one of the wonderful ladies on this forum could provide further insight/explanation to help me understand. I have used a sponge for a tampon while on my period, even before prolapse, this is why I wonder how it could worsen things.
I have used the search button, but the cut/pasted quotes from the book with regards to this topic are not helping me understand exactly how a squishy sponge or tampon, or even a vertically laying/flat pessary can worsen things.
Anyone else with any insight? Thanks!

I met with a specialist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock this week due to what appears to be bleeding from stage 3 prolapse uterus. Just to be safe we did a biopsy. This doctor is very conservative and we talked about the pessary and sponge. I showed him the sponge and his only concern was the sponge harboring bacteria even using tree tee oil to clean it. Next, he inserted a pessary and after a test drive walk in the hallway, I literally couldn't believe the freedom I felt. However, I've been experiencing burning ( it feels both internal and external) so I am taking a break. I am using a small amount of Ky Jelly. I might be sensitive to the latex pessary, KY Jelly or both. I thought I might experiment with the Shea butter that came with Jade and Pearl kit. I am doing the main rocking exercise and posture, but quite frankly not sure I am doing them correctly. By the way this doctor's whole practice is on urogynecology. Hope this gives you some information to wrap your hands around.

I found Desert Harvest Aloe Vera Gele to replace ky jelly. It has super been refined so that it is safe for people with interstitial cystitis. Very cool and soothing. June is discount month there and you can save money on shipping by getting it in a padded envelope WARNING: dont use regular aloe Vera - it BURNS !

i am very new here but i believe i remember a conversation about the problems with using pessaries and the like. from what i understand anytime u use a foreign object when trying heal you r hindering your bodies natural ability to correct itself by itself. your body will rely on the foreign object for improvement instead of your body correcting itself naturally on its own with whole woman posture. the foreign object creates a sort of healing handicap. i hope i understood correctly but that was my understanding n it makes complete sense to me. these amazing women r here to help us nthey trained very well in this work. i hold their knowledgeable advice in high regard.

WMLB makes a valid point. Our focus here is working with our symptoms to achieve actual stabilization and improvement. Thus it is not surprising that there are only a few regulars here who are pessary users, and many of them frequently find that they can wean themselves off. It's great if a pessary or sponge will relieve symptoms, because not everyone who tries them will even get that. But there isn't going to be any stabilization or actual improvement without addressing the real issues, and masking the bulge really isn't a long-term strategy. We are not only talking about prolapse, but also spine and hips. There is a very big picture here.

That being said, there are a number of pessary ladies here who have been very helpful answering each others' questions. And there is a search box to find these discussions. - Surviving

Hi - I was using a silicon pessary for about a year with no end of misery. I started out with a small one and it did not contain the bulge. Went back to gyno and she gave me a bigger size but unbeknownst to me until later, it was 2 sizes larger since she didn't have the next size up at the time. It was too big - not easy to take out/put in - and pressed on my rectum area but I was so desperate for any relief from the prolapse that I persisted for about 5 months. I went back to the gyno and she told me she had not had the correct size at my last visit and would I like to try the size lower. Um - yeah!! None of the pessaries really worked - I still had bulging and constant misery. I also frequently felt like I was getting a vaginal infection and would use a bit of Miconazole 7 overnight - just one night - and that would help. I read here at this forum about using a tampon and tried that - and for the first time since I was treated for prolapse I found relief - once I was able to get the tampon to stay in. That was the tricky part since I used a bit of extra virgin, organic coconut oil as a lubricant. It was such a relief - no bulging! - the first time in the year since I developed the prolapse!!!! I felt NORMAL. However - I knew that wearing a tampon all the time was not good and I read here at this forum about Jade and Pearl sponges and immediately ordered online from Amazon - not directly from Jade and Pearl - and ordered sea sponges that were actually for menstruation - much smaller than what I needed. After one use and having to "dig" to remove, sewed dental floss into the sponge and that made it very easy to remove. I worked very well except that it was too small. I called Jade and Pearl and they were very helpful. I ordered sponges that were specifically for pessary (they are better quality/softer). They told me that they were working on developing a new product called "pink pearls" - a sponge but not not a sea sponge - and offered to send it to me on a trial basis. I ordered large size which was too large but was able to make two sponges from it. I think ideally the shape should be round or oval and because I cut - there was a flat side. Even so, once "up there" - it works wonderfully well. I have a fairly large bulging - and for the most part the sponge keeps everything in place. I think, depending on how I insert (which side up, etc.) it will sometimes slip down but it is very easy to push back up and usually will stay. I think I may have cut a bit too small - but it is extremely comfortable - and when it is sitting right - I don't even feel it!!

As a lubricant, I have discovered a product that works very well - I highly recommend.
Carlson Labs Key E Suppositories - Natural Vitamin E
You can read about it here at iHerb site and read all the reviews. It not only lubricates but it is also soothing. Sometimes I will use just half of the suppository - sometimes the whole suppository - and I insert it first up into the vagina past the prolapse before I insert the sponge.
http://www.iherb.com/product-reviews/Carlson-Labs-Key-E-Suppositories-Na...

If I want added lubrication - I will use coconut oil. It also works wonderfully and has many good side effects including natural antifungal properties. Here's a good article all about that -
http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/sex-and-love/coconut-oil-new-lube

Back to the pink pearls! When my order arrived - I first tried the sea sponge. It was VERY soft once I squeezed in warm water before using. It worked fine well - no complaints. But I was most interested in trying the pink pearls. As stated above - I had to cut. I also sewed dental floss on both the sponge and the pink pearls - for easy removal. I found the pink pearls are EXTREMELY comfortable - more so than the pessary sea sponge (although it worked fine). I have been using the pink pearls for about 3 months now and have no complaints (except that the way I cut it - it was not round but had a flat side). I am just about to order again and I notice that Jade and Pearl are now SELLING the pink pearls for the very reasonable price of $8 !!! Here is the link where you can see pessary products.
http://jadeandpearl.com/sea-pearls-for-prolapse/

I wish I didn't suffer with a prolapse - it definitely is life altering - but I don't want mesh and from what I have read - surgery does not work particularly well and can cause more problems. You would think in this day and age that they could come up with a simple surgical solution!

I hope this information is helpful. I'm glad that I read about sponges at this forum and followed. Major relief for me.

Hi Lee,
Some good information on sponges. If you take a longer look at this website, you will find an even better solution for managing prolapse with whole woman posture. Many women have come here starting out with pessaries, and then weaned themselves off them with the whole woman practices.

Go to the top of the tool bar and start reading about whole woman. Christine Kent has come up with the best possible solution for prolapse, and has helped so many of us with not only with our prolapse, but also our hips and whole body well being!! Check it out!

There are some spammish qualities to your post, all the links and the fact that this is your first post and you are full of advice but evidently have not actually checked out the content here. I hope you will do as AG suggests and see if you can't ditch the sponges for a better way to manage prolapse. - Surviving

Sea sponges are natural. Pink pearls are synthetic. I saw them and they look exactly like the ones I wash dishes with. I don't think there is any documentation for their safety.

I would always choose the natural over synthetic if it's necessary to use them until I mastered the WW way.

Good luck,
Grandma Joy

This is my preferred pessary option. They are cheap, disposable, and compatible with the body. It's not a perfect solution and I would never wear them for more than a few hours at a time, but tucked into the corners of the vagina behind the bladder is a very viable short term solution for severe symptoms. They become uncomfortable after a while and taking them out is kind of a pain, as they get lodged up pretty high into the corners. I've only had to do this a couple of times over the past few years when my cervix has come so low that it has irritated my vulva. Two days of cotton pessaries, firebreathing, belly toss (every couple of hours), and strict WW posture resolves the symptoms for the long term. Remember, I have a much more severe type of prolapse that still gets out of hand once in a while. I am always so amazed when I can move things forward again. This stuff works!